Pasta all'amatriciana.

I think I spelled that right.

I've made variations on this bacon-tomato-onion pasta sauce before, but I think the version I tried yesterday evening was the absolute best, the permanent one in my repertoire from now on.  I think it's the provolone, an unusual substitution for pecorino romano, that makes the difference.  It's from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook called simply Pasta Sauces.  Here's how I did it.

• 5 large ripe Roma tomatoes, or a mix of Roma and conventional tomatoes, diced
• 1  small onion, chopped fine
• 6 ounces bacon, snipped into thin strips 
• 2 Tbsp or so olive oil, plus extra 
• 8 oz or so rotini or farfalle (whole wheat works fine) 
• 3 oz finely grated provolone cheese   
• Pinch cayenne pepper, more if you like 
• Salt to taste 

Sauté the bacon in the olive oil until crisp and rendered; use a slotted spoon to remove it to a small bowl.  Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until translucent and soft.  Add the tomatoes, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce becomes creamy and thick.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain and toss with a little olive oil.  When everything's ready, toss the pasta with the hot sauce.  Add the bacon and provolone and toss again.

I served this with fruit salad and steamed Brussels sprouts (and also a bowl of pasta with just butter and Parmesan for my little sauce-rejecters.  Who am I to complain?  MORE BACON FOR ME).

Comments

[Christy P.]

I know what a serving size of pasta is supposed to be, but that doesn't change the fact that I generally make an entire pound for our household of 2 adults and 1 preschooler and depending on the side dishes (sometimes there aren't any) we have 2 or fewer lunch servings left.

[bearing]

For this recipe I boiled one 13.25-ounce box, and mixed (about) two-thirds of it with the sauce, leaving (about) one-third of it with butter and parmesan. There's one generous lunch serving left now.

I don't like to have open boxes of pasta sitting around, so when I open one (even if it's a pound) I generally cook the whole box, with the exception of lasagna noodles. Since I started taking steps to eat less last year, I have learned to set aside a third to a half of the cooked, un-sauced pasta *immediately,* to be used at another meal. It never goes to waste. (More energy efficient too! Boil your water only once.)

I like a high sauce-to-pasta ratio anyway, and sometimes mix plain vegetables like green beans in with the pasta, so it works really well to feed my family of five on 8 to 12 ounces of pasta.

[Kim Harvey]

Made this last night and it was a huge hit with everyone, even mom! I ended up stirring in a bunch of chopped fresh spinach in at the end.